Method and apparatus for use in knitting



July 3, 1951 J. P. MECKLENBURGER 2,558,974

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN KNITTING Filed June 1, 1949 l Arm HolePatented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUSFOR USE IN KNITTING Josephine P. Mecklenburger, Highland Park, Ill.Application June 1', 1949, Serial No. 96,436 15 claims. (ci. 66-1) Thisinvention relates to a method and apparatus for use in the production ofknitted products. It is an object of this invention to provide animproved method and improved apparatus for measuring the completedportion of a knitted product during the knitting thereof or forindicating the proper points of progress in the knitting of a knittedproduct at which deviations should'be made in the knitting process. v

During the production of knitted garments or other; knitted products, itis commonly required that certain changes be made in the knittingprocess such as the increasing or decreasing of the number of stitches,the changing of the type of stitch, or the changing of the sequence ofdifferent types of stitches. Also it is necessary to make certain moresignilicant changes as the knitting progresses such as the allowance forsleeve holes in a sweater or jacket and provision of heel portions in asock or stocking. According to the present practice employed in handknitting, the completed portion of the knitted product ismeasuredfrequently, usually by means of a ilexible measuring tape, as a point isapproached at which some change is to be made. SuchA repeatedmeasurements are troublesome and time consuming and are sometimesneglected with the result that knitting progresses beyond a point ofchange Without the prescribed changes being made. Furthermore, becauseof the -considerable elasticity of a knitted product, measurements madein this manner are inherently inaccurate and inconsistent. It is acommon experience among knitters to nd that two measurements of the samecompleted portion of a knitted product will vary by five, ten or eveniifteen per cent, even when made by the same person. The disadvantage ofsuch inaccurate and inconsistent measurements is obvious and it will beapparent that an improved method and improved apparatus for measuringthe completed portion of a knitted product Will serve a very usefulfunction.

According to one embodiment of this invention, one end of a flexiblemeasuring tape is secured to the starting edge of the knitted product bymeans of suitable fasteners as soon as a sufricient portion of theproduct has been completed to permit such attachment conveniently. Asthe knitting progresses further, additional fasteners are employed toconnect the measuring tape detachably to the knitted product. Since themeasuring tape need be applied to the knitted product only once asopposed to the repeated application of the tape to the product for ob-`Cil taining frequent measurements, the knitter can and will be disposedto fasten the tape to the garment with considerable care with the resultthat accurate indications are obtained of the progress achieved in theknitting of the knitted product, and since the tape is securedto thecompleted portion of the knitted product, consistent measurements orindications of progress are necessarily obtained. Furthermore, theknitter obtains a continuous indication of the progress achieved withthe result that he is spared the necessity of repeated measurements as apoint of change isapproached and is spared the inconvenience andannoyance resulting from knitting beyond a point of change withouthaving made the prescribed change.

Accordingly, it is another object of this invention to provide a methodand apparatus for obtaining accurate measurements of the completedportion of a knitted product. .l It is another object of this inventionto provide a method and apparatus for obtaining consistent measurementsof the completed portion of a knitted product. v l

It is another object of this invention to provide a method and apparatusfor obtaining continuous measurement of the completed portion of aknitted product.

It is another object of this invention toy provide a method andapparatus for giving continuous and accurate indications of the progressachieved in the production of a knitted product. v

It is another object of this invention tov pro-A vide a simple andexpedient method for obtaining continuous and accurate measurement ofthe completed portion of a knitted product.4

It is another object of this invention to provide simple, durable, andinexpensive apparatus for obtaining continuous and accurate measurementof the completed portion of a knitted product.

This invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof,will best be understood by reference to the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will bepointed out in the appended claims.

' In the drawing, in which like parts are indicated by like referencenumerals,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a knittd product illustrating the methodand apparatus in accordance with this invention to measure the completedportion of a knitted product;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial View of the ilexible tape appearing inFis. l;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a flexible tapedetachably secured to a knitted product by various suitable types offasteners; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a flexible tape illustrating anotherembodiment of this invention.

The measuring apparatus illustrated in the figures and described belowincludes a flexible tape II and suitable fasteners I2, I3 and I4 fordetachably securing the flexible tape to the completed portion I5 of aknitted product. The flexible tape may be of the conventional typehaving markings at each inch and various fractions of the inch asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. However, according to another embodimentof this invention, the flexible tape may be Specifically designed to aparticular job whereby the markings on the tape indicate the points ofprogress in the knitting at which deviations should be made in theknitting process. The tape IIa in Fig. 4 is marked, for example, toindicate the points at which a different type of stitch is to beemployed or an increase in the number of stitches is to be made or achange in the shape of the product is to be made to provide for anarmhole. Tapes of the type shown in Fig. 4 must be specially marked foreach individual size and design of product but have the advantage thatthey call the attention of the knitter specifically to the changes whichare to be made at various points in the progress of the knitting. Theflexible tape II or IIa preferably has a series of small openings I6throughout the length thereof for receiving suitable fasteners, theholes preferably being protected by eyelets IIa as illustrated in Fig.2. As can best be seen in Fig. 3, a fastener I2, I3 or I4 passes throughthe openings I6 and through the mesh of the knitted product and engagesthe lower surface of the knitted product in order to secure the tapethereto. It will be understood that the use of openings in the tape isin accordance with only one embodiment of this invention. Other meansmay be provided for detachably or permanently securing the tape to thefasteners employed.

The fasteners may be of any suitable type, three types being illustratedin Fig. 3. The fastener I2 is a conventional spread fastener. Thefastener I3 is of a type commonly used to hold mens shirt studs and isreferred to in the art as a pipe stem'fastener. The fastener I4 is asnap fastener commonly used on overalls and other coarse garments and isreferred to in the trade as a bachelor-button. Conventional or speciallydesigned pins or safety pins may also be used. One advantage of thefastener I4 is that one portion thereof is secured to the flexible tape,and, therefore, it is readily available for fastening the tape to theknitted product. This fastener includes a fixed head Illa., asemi-permanent head Mb, and a readily detachable button I4c. The twoheads I4a, and Mb clamp against opposing faces of the flexible tapewhile the removable button I4c engages the lower side of the knittedproduct.

It is intended that the three types of detachable fasteners shown inFig. 3 be merely illustrative of the type of fastener which may be usedin accordance with this invention. Any fastener may be employed whichhas a shank portion long enough to pass through the tape and through`the knitted product and thin enough to avoid damage thereto, and which`has suitable means for engaging at least one surface ofthe flexible tapeand of the knitted product. It is necessary, of course, that thefasteners be removable and preferably are of a type which will notreadily become improperly entangled with the knitted product. It is alsopreferable that the heads of the fasteners or that portion of thefastener which engages the exposed surface of the tape be small relativeto the Width of the tape, as shown in-Figs. 2 and 3, in order to avoidtheir concealing' the markings on the tape.

The knitter, by the simple expedient of fastening the flexible tape tothe knitted product progressively during the knitting thereof, obtains acontinuous measurement of the completed portion of the product. It is,therefore, unnecessary for the knitter to make repeated measurements ofthe completedv portion as he approaches a point at which some change isprescribed in the knitting and the danger of proceeding beyond a pointof change without such change being made is substantially eliminated.Since the tape is fastened to the completed portion of a knittedVproduct, consistent measurements will necessarily result and since theknitter is not troubled with repeated measurements of the completedportion, he is more inclined to use care in the single application ofthe tape to the garment and thereby obtains more accurate as well asconsistent measurements. By the selection of suitable fas'- teners, suchas those illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the tape can be fastenedto and removed from the knitted product easily and rapidly, and thelittle time and energy expended thereby is much more than offset by theelimination of the necessity of making repeated measurements, while atthe same time consistent and accurate measurements are obtained.

It is believed that the best method is to leave the tape attached to theknitted product over the measured length thereof during the entireperiod of knitting. However, after a substantial num? ber of fastenershave been applied, the fasteners first used may be removed and reappliedat a newly knitted portion of the product. This latter method has theadvantage of requiringfewer fasteners and is best applied when thegarment or productbeing knitted is of considerable length.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown, it willbe understood, of course, that the invention is not limited theretosince many modifications may be made, and it is, therefore, contemplatedto cover by the appended claims any such modificationsfas fall withinthe true'spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired tobe secured by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of measuring progress in the production of a knittedproduct comprising the progressive attachment of a flexible tape atsuccessive spaced points to the completed portion of such product assuch product is being knitted.

2. The method of obtaining continuous measurement of the completedportion of a knitted product comprising the progressive connecting of aflexible tape at successive spaced points to the completed portion ofsuch productas the knitting of such product progresses.

3. The method of obtaining consistent and accurate measurements of thecompleted portion of a knitted product during the knitting thereofcomprising progressively connecting a flexible measuring tape atsuccessive spaced points to the completed portion of such product as itis being knitted.

4. The rnethod of obtaining continuous and accurate indication of theprogress achieved in the production of a' knitted product comprising theprogressive attachment of a iiexible nieasuring tape at successivespaced points to the conipleted portion of such product as the knittingof such product progresses.

5. The method of determining progress in the production of a knittedproduct comprising the progressive attachment of a flexible tape atsuccessive spaced points lto such product as such product is knitted.

6. The method of measuring progress in the production of a knittedproduct comprising the progressive detachable connecting of a flexibletape at successive spaced points to such product as such product isknitted.

7. The method of obtaining continuous measurement of the completedportion of a knitted product during the knitting thereof comprisingdetachably connecting a fiexible tape to the coinpleted portion of suchgarment with some stande ard measuring point on said tape being adjacentsome base point on such completed portion, and detachably connectingsuccessive spaced points on said tape progressively, as such product isknitted, to the newly knitted portion thereof.

8. Apparatus for obtaining consistentv and accurate measurement of theprogress achieved. in the production of a knitted product comprising afieXible tape and a plurality of fasteners, each of said fastenershaving a shank portion, said tape having means for receiving said shankportions of said fasteners, and said fasteners being detachablyconnectable to the completed portion of such knitted product While saidshank portions are in engagement with said tape.

9, Apparatus for obtaining continuous and accurate measurement of thecompleted portion of a knitted product during the knitting thereofcomprising a flexible tape a plurality of snap fasteners adapted todetachably connect said tape to the completed portion of such knittedproduct, cach of said fasteners having first and second detachablyconnectable portions, said first portions being engageable with saidtape and said second portions being engageable with the completedportion of such knitted product.

l0. Apparatus for obtaining continuous measurernent of the completedportion of a knitted product during the knitting thereof, said apparatuscomprising a iiexible tape and a plurality of spread fasteners, saidtape having a plurality of openings therethrough spaced along the lengththereof, said fasteners being adapted to pass through said openings andto fasten said tape detachably to the completed portion of such knittedproduct.

11. Apparatus for obtaining continuous measurement of the completedportion of a knitted product during the knitting thereof, said apparatuscomprising a iiexible tape and a plurality of pipe stein fasteners, saidtape having a plurality of openings therethrough spaced along the lengththereof, said fasteners being adapted to pass through said openings andto fasten said tape detachably to the completed portion of such knittedproduct.

l2. The method of producing a knitted product of a predetermined lengthcomprising, knitting a portion of said product and temporarily securingone end of a iiexible tape thereto, continuing with the knitting andrepeatedly securing progres* sively more advanced points on said tape tothe completed portion of said product until the product is of saidpredetermined length as indicated by said tape.

13. Apparatus for obtaining continuous and. accurate measurement of thecompleted portion of a knitted product durinO` the knitting thereofcomprising a iiexibie tape having a series of longitudinaliy spacedopenings therein and a plun rality of fasteners secured to said tape anddetachaoiy connectable to the completed portion of such knitted product,each of said fasteners having a xed head, a sterA extending therefromand passing through one of said openings in said tape, a semi-permanenthead engaging said stem and securing said tape between said fixed headand said senti-permanent head, and a button den tachably engageable withsaid stem for securing said fastener and said tape to the completed portion of such knitted product.

i4, Apparatus for giving continuous indication of progress achieved inthe production of a knitted product comprising a exible measuring deviceand a plurality of fasteners, each of said fasteners having a shankportion long enough to extend through said measuring device and throughsuch knitted product and being adapted to connect said device to thecompleted portion of such knitted product.

15. Apparatus for obtaining consistent and accurate measurement of theprogress achieved in the production of a knitted product comprising aflexible tape having a plurality of openings therethrough, and aplurality of fasteners, each of said fasteners having a head portionadapted to engage one surface of said tape and a shank portion forextending through one of said openings and through the completed portionof such knitted product, whereby said fasteners are adapted todetachably connect said iiexible tape to the completed portion of suchknitted product, said heads of said fasteners being small relative tothe width of said tape.

JOSEPHINE P. MECKLENBURGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,020,556 Kirkpatrick Nov. 12,1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 421,864 France Jan. 4, 1911

